Union Pacific Railroad

Union Pacific Railroad

Union Pacific Railroad is a U.S. Class I railroad owned by Union Pacific Corporation operating 31,800 route miles of track and covering 23 states in the western two-thirds of the United States. The railroad operates from all major U.S. West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways, connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major Mexico gateways.

UP operates 8,300 locomotives and employs 46,500 individuals, providing service to approximately 10,000 customers. The company reported 2013 revenue of $22 billion — up 5 percent year-over-year.

The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad was incorporated in 1862 under the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862. The company has grown by acquiring other railroads, including the Missouri Pacific, Chicago and North Western, Western Pacific, and several more. UP also owns 26 percent of Mexico-based Ferromex.

A key metric of U.S. intermodal rail service continues to show improvement even as volume builds, giving shippers a better shot of seeing the level of service they saw in 2012-2013 as soon as the spring.

Norfolk Southern Railway said poor network velocity cost it some domestic intermodal volume in the fourth quarter, but the railroad said overall service has turned a corner, allowing it to better handle expected domestic and international intermodal traffic growth this year.

Kansas City Southern Railway’s intermodal traffic increased 8 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2014, despite congestion from other U.S. railroads and cross-border diversions that cost it some volume.